SMART SOLUTIONS FOR CAPITAL PLANNING

Hospital management, from Directors of Radiology to Cath lab managers, are under so much stress, especially when equipment fails, and cases are scheduled back to back for use on patients. It’s more than rotating or pushing a patient’s schedule, it’s patient experience, revenue the hospital is losing, and much more. After repeated equipment failures due to the age of equipment, the question becomes, “Do we start working on a capital request for a purchase, or do we keep on fixing it every time?” Unfortunately for hospitals in California it’s not that easy to just replace the equipment since OSHPD will be part of the process. It is quite a long process of construction, approvals and installation. Some hospitals are not even allowed to replace or change a piece of equipment due to the age of the building which cannot bear/resist any modification. They start looking at options for mobile imaging (which can be very expensive) and the department starts bleeding; often turning into a cost center rather than being a profitable entity. Management isn’t working smart and considering options that are available. Imaging can become very expensive and ROI might take years before you can start being profitable. Most of the time it’s better to upgrade and modify the system to a higher revision where parts will be available for at least another decade. With this option, it allows the hospital to plan for the replacement in a more timely manner and possibly invest in other equipment that is a higher priority for the department. Medzon has witnessed many hospitals investing in equipment without fully understanding the current situation of the department and hospital. Management gets excited hearing from sales about the new technology and its capabilities, which they think this is the best solution to deliver better quality of service, technology and profit for their organization. Technology is great and Medzon is a technology driven company, but investing smart is more important for the hospital’s growth. The directors should look at the department as a whole and also consider the other departments in the hospital to make the most advantageous decision. Maybe upgrading to older systems is a better solution than having one room that is the latest and greatest in the market. Having old equipment does not necessarily mean that the quality of care is terrible, or the hospital is not considered state-of-the-art. Artificial Intelligence can be implemented at a minimal cost for older equipment which makes it a smart system. Investing smart is important not only to the growth of the department but also to elevating the quality of the hospital and other departments.